Hello my lovely readers! It's time for another Behind the Blog post!
Behind the Blog is a meme to help bloggers connect their life and interests to the content showcased on their blog. The co-hosts, Faye, Kathe, and Melissa will provide a different topic, idea, or question every week that bloggers can relate to themselves and the books, films, or other media they find interesting!
This week, because of the recent celebration of Mother's Day, we're looking at parents. Be free with it: Maybe write a good memory you have with them. Or ponder something like: How did your parents affect your life? What do you feel about other people's parents? What's it like being a parent yourself? Take it and make it your own!
I have decent relationships with my parents. They aren't perfect, I don't think any relationship is, really, but they're good enough. I have different levels of relationships with my parents though.
My relationship with my dad:
My dad is a great father. He's always been there for me, but he's also a very laid back parent. He doesn't try to force his dreams or wishes on me, and generally likes to let me figure life out (and make mistakes) for myself.
I hardly ever questioned my dad when I was younger. Now that I'm older, and we can debate on more in depth topics, I have more to say when my dad holds a view on something that I don't necessarily agree with.
In terms of the evolution of our relationship, I think it has grown to a more mature, adult level if you will. I'll always have respect for my dad as my father and the authority that comes with that role, but now that I'm older I think that I'm able to appreciate him more as a person, and not just my dad. It's interesting to hear about his life before me and my sisters were around. whereas I didn't appreciate those kinds of stories as much when I was younger. This was probably because I didn't have the depth back then to appreciate him as a whole person and not just "Dad."
My dad also played a major (indirect) role in the making of this blog. If he wasn't always encouraging me to read, and always letting me get books on trips to the mall or taking me to the library, I don't think I would love reading and books as much as I do.
My relationship with my mom:
My relationship with my mom is a little different. I wouldn't say that it's great. It's...hmm, how should I put this? A work in progress?
My mom and I have never really been all that close and we just seem to clash. I'm trying my best to continue working on having a better relationship with her. It's not always easy, I'll admit.
Other parents in my life:
I have wonderful relationships with some of my friend's parents and my boyfriend's parents as well, so I consider myself extremely lucky in that respect.
I'm not a parent myself. I hope that if I become a parent some day I can take all of the experiences and advice I've learned about from my parents and my friend's parents that I can be at least half as good a parent as they are.
Books/Media Tie in:
I had a bit of trouble thinking of some books that really explore parent child relationships but here are a couple:
The evolution of the mother daughter relationship is particularly powerful in Winter Garden.
Michael J. Fox talks at length in his memoir Lucky Man about his role as a parent. He also explains how his diagnosis of Parkinson's Disease has influenced how his children see him as a father, and his parenting style.
In Strange places, the main character Tayna, is "head girl" at an orphanage. She is thrown into a world of magic and fantasy when she has to escape from the orphanage and find out who she really is. She finds out that her parents are still alive and that she isn't truly an orphan and goes on a journey to find them.
There you have it, there are just a few books that explore parent child relationships.
What books have you read or films have seen where the main themes are parenting?
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